National Geographic Green Guide

I have not had a chance to investigate this site.  It is National Geographic so it must be good.  :)

http://www.thegreenguide.com/?source=email_gg_20081022&email=gg

Get Rid of Junk Mail

Visit the link below to find ways to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/huddlergreenhome/23/junk-your-junk-mail.html 

Hair Gel

My quest to eliminate unhealthy personal products from my home continues.  I found a healthy alternative to my hair gel.  In addition to being environmentally friendly, it is cheap and easy to make.

Hair Gel recipe:

Unflavored (Vegan) Gelatin

Water

I only used half the dry gelatin (and stored the other half for later use).

Half the water called for according to the package would have been 1 cup but I used one and a half cups to keep the gelatin from solidifying too much.

I keep some in a plastic container in the bathroom.  The excess is in additional containers in my refrigerator.

After showering, I take a small amount of gelatin in my hand and let it liquify.

I work it into my hair and style as normal.  

It provides a firm hold and works great.

I did not add a scent though I am sure that would be possible.

Food Additives Site

After looking up the ingredients for the non-dairy creamer, I found The Center for Science in the Public Interest's website.  It has information on food additives in an easy to read format.

Their site may be accessed by clicking the link below:

http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer

My morning routine includes drinking two cups of coffee while getting ready for work.  In the past I used Half and Half or heavy cream to lighten my coffee.  More recently I started using non-dairy powdered creamer.  I like the way it tastes, it is convenient, and keeps better than dairy products.  

Today I read the ingredients:

Corn Syrup Solids, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Sodium Caseinate (a Milk Derivative), Dipotassium Phosphate, Mono and Diglycerides, Silicon Dioxide, Artificial Color, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor.

I investigated the ingredients and found:

Corn syrup solids are a product of HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS).  Aside from being absent any nutritional benefit, it adversely affects white blood cells reducing the effectiveness of ones immune system, and it may lead to the development of type II diabetes.   There is much information on the negative health impacts of HFCS.  One example may be found at the following link:  http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html

Hydrogenated oils have been implicated or linked to circulatory and hear diseases. 

The remainder of the ingredients listed either lacked available information or were deemed benign.

Considering the above facts along with my family history, which includes heart disease and diabetes, I have concluded the continued use of this product would be unwise.

Therefore - I searched the web to find an alternative, which I have listed below:

1 cup soy milk powder (plain or flavored)
1 2-oz packet coconut cream powder

If you like your creamer sweetened add:
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (or equivalent dry sweetener of choice)

Mix all ingredients well.
Store in a jar with a good-fitting lid.
Shake well before each use.
----
To make Soy-Free Coffee Creamer
Use rice milk powder in place of soy milk powder.

I will be testing this recipe today.  I will let you know how this turns out.

Home Made Laundry Detergent

I received several requests in last night's class for this recipe.

8 Cups baking soda (one 4 lb. box)

6 cups Borax

4 cups grated castile soap (four 4 ounce bars)

A dash of lavender essential oil

(I used eucalyptus essential oil.)

I have used this and it worked great. My dingy white wash cloths are whiter.

There are others recipes that can be easily modified to be green, such as the ones listed on the following website -

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

Please feel free to come back and share your favorite recipes.

Welcome to the home of The Green Chemist

My goal for creating this blog is to share information on going green.

 

My inspiration stems from my experience while attending a Principles of Sustainable Living class at DePaul.  For many, going green conjures thoughts of global warming and reducing ones carbon footprint.  There is so much more that we need to do BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. 

 

We are destroying necessary ecosystems through over development, industrialization, and careless polluting of our soil and water supplies.  Through the use of every-day products we expose ourselves to a plethora of deadly chemicals.  These substances are poisoning the human race and slowly turning our soil and water toxic.

 

As I am newly aware of the danger, I have a need (or responsibility) to make changes in my lifestyle.  While the toxicity of our lifestyle may seem depressing, take heart, there are many things we can do to turn the tide.  With a little effort and ingenuity we can reduce the amount of unsafe materials to which we expose our environment and ourselves.  

As part of my journey, I will share recipes for environmentally friendly cleaners, safe health and beauty aids, and other products.  It is for this reason I call myself "THE GREEN CHEMIST."  In addition to the aforementioned recipes, I will provide links to various green resources that I discover along the way.  I hope you find this information useful and enlightening.

 

Please note: My choice of background is also green friendly. Black backgrounds use less energy.  See for yourself - http://www.blackle.com/about/